In a school district where nearly half of all high school students identify as nonwhite, the teenagers who pushed for the new classes say the minority-focused courses will boost grades and graduation rates.

"This means a lot to many students who are eager to learn about their contributions to the creation of this nation," said Y Le, a

senior who helped fight for the classes. "Portland students are now able to feel safe in their history classes, where their histories are not constantly being made a tragedy. It's a big win."

Ethnic studies classes have become increasingly popular since 2010, when conservative lawmakers in Arizona banned Mexican studies classes and galvanized activists in nearby states. Several California and Texas school districts now offer the courses, though Gov. Jerry Brown last year

In Portland, 46 percent of last year's high school students identified as non-white. At some high schools, including Benson, Franklin, Madison, Roosevelt and Jefferson, white students are the minority.

But only Madison offers an ethnic studies class. At the others, white and European histories dominate student textbooks.

at the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon's Southeast 82nd Avenue headquarters to determine what they could do.

After months of work, they unveiled "Missing Pages of Our History," a campaign calling on district leaders to create social studies classes focusing on the history of African Americans, Latinos, Asian and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans, Arabs, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Le and her friends studied other schools' experiences. In Tucson, Arizona, they found, students of all races performed better after taking a Mexican American studies class. The students scored higher on standardized tests, turned in homework more frequently and graduated at higher rates than those who didn't take the course.

found ethnic studies courses improved the academic performance and attendance of high school students at risk of dropping out.

The teenagers also unearthed city and state directives supporting their proposal. In 2011, the Portland school board approved a Racial Educational Education Policy, aimed at helping students of color perform better. That policy instructed district leaders to provide all students with culturally relevant classwork.

gave the Oregon Department of Education money to pay for training for instructors who want to teach a more diverse version of Oregon history.

Watching the kids work, staff at the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon said they grew emotional.

"Sometimes adults like me get jaded," said Joseph Santos-Lyons, the nonprofit's executive director. "It's amazing that young people of color and their white allies are able to come together and envision a really sound public policy solution. This is the next generation speaking about the kind of world they envision in. They envision living and relating with people of different cultures and backgrounds."

The students presented their findings, along with a detailed, four-year proposal of what an ethnic studies program could look like, to board members earlier this year. This week, they brought signs to the board meeting.

"American history is not whole without all of us," read one written by Jessica Yu, a Franklin junior. "We exist. It is time we place the 'united' back into United States history."

The board agreed.

Under the proposal approved Tuesday, the district will appoint a committee of students, staff, teachers and community members to create a plan for training teachers and paying for the new program.

Eventually, as Oregon continues to diversify, those students are going to have to work alongside people from different backgrounds. The classes, Santos-Lyons said, can give all Oregon students a foundation for understanding each other.

"We really feel like this is a solution," he said, "to create more peace in our communities."